WSU, Pac-10 links for a Thursday

COUGARS • UPDATED: 10:26 A.M.

It’s a much-more-crowded-than-usual Thursday this week, so let’s get right to the links. If you want original thoughts, you’ve come to the wrong place. We’re fresh out this morning. Read on.

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• Washington State: For a few years there a couple years ago, after I got out of the management ranks, I was the Spokesman-Review’s prep guy. Liked the job. High school kids and coaches are great. Now I’m doing this. Anyhow, found a way this week to blend the two. In today’s S-R, I have this story about Paul Wulff trying to keep the local kids who are good enough to play Pac-10 football home (there’s also more on the practice summary from last night). … UPDATE: Forgot one name in my list of local players. I’ve added Sam Tennant, linebacker from Pullman, on the list on-line. … Tomorrow, I will have a piece on two who got away and are playing at Oregon. … There is also my Pac-10 picks which I’m not all that proud of, and a the short on James Watson’s fall yesterday during preseason workouts. … Thanks to CougCenter, you can listen to a bunch of WSU-related radio bits . … And, for an outside perspective of what’s going on in Pullman, read this Register-Guard story .

• Around the Pac-10: Ted Miller at ESPN.com makes his Pac-10 picks and lets you know what you should watch this week. … Buster Sports’ Nick Daschel ranks the Pac-10’s players. … Washington: The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are using the newest fad on offense, the Wildcat formation. The Huskies are ready . … Oregon State: The Beavers’ defense must make some stops this weekend. … Oregon: The Ducks’ practiced inside Wednesday, and, according to coach Chip Kelly, had a great practice. … Jeremiah Masoli has a goal: get the wideouts some touchdowns. … One of the players I’m writing about is Coeur d’Alene’s Carson York. He’s keeping a season-long journal for the Oregonian. … Cal: The Bears want to put race . … USC: Stafon Johnson reaches out on Twitter to thank fans. … UCLA: The Bruins are the next to face the Chris Owusu challenge . … Arizona State: The Sun Devils will be starting a walk-on at offensive guard. Sounds like WSU. … Arizona: I once owned a book of Tank McNamara cartoons – don’t ask me why; I can’t remember – entitled something like “God intended blond boys to be quarterbacks.” Someone must have had Nick Foles in mind .

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• That’s it for this morning. We’ll be back after practice. Until then …